Self-contained opener for containers



Sept. 8, 1959 J. F. VANHOOF' SELF-CONTAINED OPENER FOR CONTAINERS Filed April 24, 1957 ZIA S JN\4Y E F N O R O O H T N m A V .Md RF. ON TH N Ew VPw. WZB 7J 2 3/ United States Patent G SELF-CONTAINED OPENER FOR CONTAINERS John F. Vanh'oof, Mobile, Ala.

Application April 24, `19'57, Serial No. 654,811

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-61) The present invention relates to self-contained opener for containers and has for its main object and purpose to provide a can or other container constructed with the opening means incorporated therein to the end that the container provided with an opener of this invention may be opened without the need for can openers or other additional equipment.

lt is another object of the invention to provide a can or container having in part a wall section which involves a multiple layered shell having included between the layers or laminations a thread-like wire which projects outward from the container from beneath the outside layer, and which, when pulled, will rip each of the thin layers successively until the container is opened.

The invention has for a further object to incorporate this novel wall section and lid of the can which is in sealed relation to the side wall; for instance, such wall section may be in the form of a ange of the lid which laps a portion of the side wall or body of the can.

It is a further object of the present invention to achieve the results above described without loss of strength of the can or without any way jeopardizing the safe retention of the contents of the can for a prolonged period of time.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel wall section of the character indicated which is so incorporated as a part of the can or container that the contents may be introduced into the container in accordance with a method which is now conventional; it being understood that the involved modification is in the manufacture of the can itself.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a self-contained opener for containers in which the cost of manufacture of the cans or containers over present conventional container costs is very small after incurring the initial cost of setting up the plant for manufacturing this new type of can or container.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention lie primarily in the consumers use of the improved can or container in that the can would be handledby the consumer in the same manner that conventional cans are now handled up to the point of opening, and then when the can is to be opened, the same may be achieved by the very simple act of pulling upon the thread-like wire so that the great advantage to the housewife is that the can may be opened at any time anywhere and with little effort without a can opener.

A further advantage incident to the construction of the can and the improved method of opening the same is that when opened, the can provides a smooth lip around the entire perimeter of the top portion that is sterile and may be used as an eating or drinking container as soon as it is opened.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

ln the drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a top plan view of a can constructed in 2,903,179 -Patented Sept. 8, 1959 accordance with the present invention and illustrating the ripping wire in dashed lines.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of one wall and the top of the can showing the invention installed as taken on the line 2-2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the can showing the invention in dashed lines as taken on the line 3 3 in Figure l.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a further modied type of a can top or lid having a bellows-like wall section of the invention as it would appear when formed to accept the ripping wire but before being flattened or collapsed.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the same as it appears after the novel wall section has been attened or collapsed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and for the present to Figures 1-3 inclusive, 20 designates the side wall of a can of a standard type to which a top or lid 21 is attached, this top or lid 21 being according to the present invention.

In this fonn of the invention the novel wall section is carried by the lid orY top 21 as a flange and comprises laminations 21A, 21B and 21C. The ripping thread-type wire 22 is interleaved with the laminations of the rip wall section of the invention, the convolutions of the wire being designated at 23A, 23B, and 23C. The convolutions constitute a coil of a volute form having a common center, the convolutions being concentric. Each lamination 21A, 21B, and 21C, is relatively thin compared with the normal thickness of the lid or side wall of a conventional can, so that the composite laminated rip wall section of the invention will preferably not exceed in thickness the conventional thickness of a can lid or can side wall as in use today. Where the improved rip wall section is of three layers or laminations, each such lamination will therefore be one-third the thickness of the lid or side wall of a conventional can. The laminations 21A, 21B, and 21C may be rolled, pressed, or otherwise thinned to achieve the approximate thickness desired. It will be understood of course that thinness in the laminations is desirable in order that the same may lend themselves to ready ripping by the wire 22. The wire is so disposed in its relative convolutions with respect to the laminations that a single lamination is ripped at a time. This thread-like wire 22' is preferably in one continuous piece passing between successive layers or laminations 21A, 21B, and 21C with the respective convolutions 23A, 23B and 23C being placed under the respective laminations of the rip wall section as palticularly shown in Figure 2.

As appears more particularly from Figure 1 it will be apparent that the ripping coil is spaced outwardly from the outer edge of lthe lid or top 21 so that after the ripping operation takes place a wall section 40 adjacent the lid 21 will be left intact, this remaining wall section being adapted to rest upon the top edge of the side wall 20 of the can whenever the lid 21 is replaced on the can.

Figure 3 indicates one method of applying the wire coil 22 in place. The inner end of the wire is represented at 23D. From this point the wire is wound in one substantially complete circle until it arrives opposite such end '23D where it is offset, as indicated at 41 upwardly to pass into the second convolution 23B which lies between the laminations 21B and 21C. After circularly completing the convolution 23B, the wire is again offset upwardly as indicated at 42 and passes into the uppermost convolution 23A. After completing the convolution 23A, the wire 22 is brought downwardly at substantially right angles between the laminations 21A and 21B and is caused to project below the rip wall section to provide the lead-in terminal end ofthe wire which is exposed for grasping by the' housewife.

In operation this lead-wire 22A is grasped and pulled upwardly so as to rupture and cut through the outer wall 'ilamination 21A until the "convolution 23A :is reached;

thereupon the wire is pulled upwardly and-circularly `around thetop'of the can-cutting `circularly throughthe outermostlamination 21A and then'passingby the olfset 4Z down to the second convolution 23B. As'the'pulling action is `continued upwardly and circularly around the can the intermediate lamination 21B' isripped out. 'After completing the cutting throughoftheintermediate'lami- 'nation ZIBthe'ripping wiredescends through the offset 41 to'the--lowermost or innermost convolution '23Cand the pulling action' is continued upwardly and `cireularly about A--the can'so as to 4rip through' thisinn'ermost'lamination Asappears'most clearlyin Figure 2,'the`rip`wall section is curved or'interlocked about a bulgredupper lip 43 of the container wall so as to effect alock'with vthe'wall for preventing the'lid or cover 21`fr0m being lifted off the can. -A'fter the complete ripping "operation, this curved interlocked portion of the ripwall section may simply be pulled outwardly or it may fall'away from the bulged lip section 43V leaving the wall section 40'integral or attached to .the lid 21 for the purpose of forming a permanent short Yila'ngefor engaging the top side wall of the can to ihold the'lid 21 vin elevated position for preventing this lid'fro'm undesirably descending into the interior ofthe can.

.In the instance of the can depicted in`Figures 1 through 3, the bottom of the can would not be changed from present. type cans. T he manufacturer of the cans would complete the top enclosure, leaving the bottom ready for the standard closure after the canI had been filled.

Referring more particularly to Figures 4 and 5,v 31 designates a can top orlid in a shape similar to a metal screw lid having the upper, intermediate and lower double-walled substantially U-shaped .laminations forming a rip wall section according to the invention. 'These laminations form a multiple'layered edge for the can top 431. In'Figure 4 these laminations are illustrated in expanded condition and the same might be said to resemble abellows. 'The upper, intermediate and lower convolutions 22K, `22L and 22M of the rip coil are wound between the laminations which in eect constitute screw threads. 'The wire is wound in a continuous manner being pulled inwardly against the upped, intermediate and lower closed connecting webs 31D, 31E and 31F, which webs connect the various leaves of the bellows or the adjacent walls of the'laminations 31A, 31E-and 31C. A projecting end or leadin portion of the rip wire projects from the lid of a length 'to-allow it tobe gripped forpulling. Afterthe wire is thus inserted theexpanded laminations 31A, 31B and -31C are pressed together or collapsed into the shape as. shown in Figure 5 and the lid is ready-for insertion on the can. As shown by the arrow 32 in Figure 2, the wire.22 is adapted to be pulled upward toward the top of the can. This action slits the outlayer 21Ain a Vertical manner until thewire 22 is exposed atpoint 23A. The wire 22 isk then pulled in a horizontal and circular manner'around the circumference of the can until the point 23D is reached Ywhich completes the Vopening of the can.

As `shown by the arrow 33 in Figure 5, the wire ZZP -is pulled upward-thus slitting thev two walls of the upper lamination 31A until it reaches the point 31G; then the wire 22K is pulled horizontally and in a circular manner around the circumference of the can until all the parts 31A, 31B yand 31C have been removed.

The thickness of the edge of the top or lid of the can varies depending on the.type,.1 method of manufacture and methodofcanning. As shown` in Figure 2, the partsZlA, 21B and' 21C are each approximately one-third'the thickness of the lid 21. :In Figures'4fand 5 lthe thickness of each wall of the parts 31A, 31B and 31C is approximately one-sixththe thicknessofthe'part or lid 31. 'Any number of layers or laminations may be use'd depending on the particular needs of the products to be handled, and the thickness of the parts comparable to 31A, 31B and 31C are adjusted accordingly.

In Figure 2 it will be noted that the topmost or outermostlamination Y21A is indicated as'formed in one piece withthe'lid21 'but as the laminations are reduced in lthickness in order to make a stronger joint with the lid 31D, 31E and `31F on the onel hand and the lid 31 on the other hand.

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the inventionknown to me at this time, I reserve the right tol all such modifie-ations and Achanges as may come within lthe scope of thefllowingclaims.

What is claimed is: l. "A self-contained opener 'for containers comprising a eontainerllid provided with a circumferentially attached Vwall section on Vtheouter portion thereof, said wall section comprised of double-walled substantially'U-shaped laminationshaving webs connecting the same forming ,collapsed inner and outer pockets, and a flexible rip wire of-.hardermaterial than Vthe laminations wound in a volute coilbetween the laminations and tightened in the outer pocketssubstantially against said webs.

2. A'self-contained opener for containers with sealed lids, `provided with a circumferential portion of predetermined width on the outer rim of one of said lids, said .circumferential portion possessing multiple layers forming ascrew thread shape, each of said layers of a proportionate thickness to allow the circumferential portion .to be of the approximate thickness of the rest of said lid, said circumferentialportion also provided with a ripping member interleaved therebetween in a circumferential manneraround said lid, said ripping member provided with-a lead strand Vexposed on the exterior of said lid, and said circumferential portion of said lid interlocked-with the side wall of a container.

References CitedIin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

